Essay Paper on Racism in Schools

Racism is defined as discrimination of certain people who belong to a different race. This prejudice is based on the assumption that different races possess specific characteristics and that one races are superior to the other. Unfortunately, racism affects people of all ages, and it is often found in schools. Expressions of racism in schools can take different forms such as bullying, exclusion, verbal abuse, name-calling, and teasing. It can be experienced not just by children and students, but also by teachers, workers, and parents. Needless to say, racism in schools has numerous negative effects on learning environment, individuals, and working fraternity. It’s a serious vice that should be eradicated.

Racism decreases sociability in schools and individual’s ability to communicate. Sometimes people limit their communication to the ones who belong to a specific race. It leads to the situation when people of the same race unite in groups and consequently only enhances racism which has initially caused it. It sabotages sociability and social growth in communities and that is why all forms of racism should be excluded from schools.

Another thing which makes racism in schools a serious vice is that it makes certain students reject their parental values and their own culture. When students are ridiculed because of their culture, they may not be able to endure all the teasing, and in this case, they try to conform to the mainstream culture to become like everyone else. In this way they hope to stop being teased and start enjoying the normal life. Such behavior leads to the confusion of identity where people stop understanding where they should be and who they are. While people are trying to conform to the mainstream culture, they hope that it will ease their pain when in fact it only deepens it both in the short and long-term. Therefore, it is very important to unite our efforts and fight against racism in schools.

As a result of racism, many students adopt negative behavior patterns such as disruption and aggression. Because of the hatred that students face, they pick up these destructive behaviors and copy them spreading hatred over other races. We regularly hear reports of fights which happen because of racism. Usage of abusive language to people of other races is also not rare. All these things cause immense suffering to students and for this reason, racism should be opposed fiercely in schools.

Not just students, but also teachers are affected by racism. They are prejudiced either by fellow teachers or students. It influences their confidence negatively and considerably reduces their enjoyment of teaching which in turn affects their performance as teachers and overall appreciation of life. A teacher, who is influenced by racism in such a way, affects students and educational system respectively. This is another major reason why racism should be banished from our schools.

As we have seen, racism is a dire vice that needs to be addressed very seriously. It leads to psychological trauma among both students and teachers, and it has a negative impact on the whole educational system. Anti-racism efforts should be taken in all schools, and they should be aimed not just at eradicating racism now but also at preventing the cases of racism in the future.